Supporting element for flags.



1, G. BIXBY.

SUPORTING ELEMENT FOR FLAGS.

AP PLIC'AT|0N FILED MAY 7. 1917.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

JOSEPH GnzBIXBY, 0F LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORTING ELEMENT FOB, FLAGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 191e.

Application 1aed May 7, 1917. serii No. 166,798.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. BIXBY, a citizen of the United States, aresident of Lincoln, in the county of Logan and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Supporting Elements for Flags,of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to means applied to flags for decorativepurposes, whereby flags may be displayed in an attractive manner,unfurled and with the appearance of being whipped by the breeze, orstraight out as in a stiff breeze, or with the flag having theappearance of being blown upward as from an undercurrent of air, or, asis sometimes the case, partly wrapped around the staff.

The invention consists essentially of a supporting element, preferablyof soft wire, serving as a binder for the selvage edges of the flagwhich is adapted to be bent into any desired shape, thus making itpossible to make an entire change in a decorative scheme with the sameset of liags.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a flag showing my flexiblesupporting element applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section as the same would appear if taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge View looking down on the flag;

Fig. 4 is a view of the supporting element, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the manner of securing the supporting elementto the selvage ofthe flag, and also to the sta'.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout thefigures.

The Hag is designated 1, attached in the usual manner to a Hag sta' 2.

3 designates a supporting element, preferably of soft wire, orequivalent material, the same bent into the form shown. and having thespaced parallel portions 4 and 5 and the connected end portion 6. Theends of the element are preferably connected to the staff 2 by beingcoiled, as at 7, about the same.

To connect the element 8 to the flag fabric,

the upper and lower selvage edges 8 and 9 of said flag are turned overthe portions 4 and 5 of said element and pasted or otherwise suitablysecured to its body, as shown in Fig. l. Turning over the selvage edgesas shown, leaves the extended upper and lower parts 10 and l1 of thebody of the flag to be secured about the stafl1 2, and I preferably coilthe ends of the element about these portions, as shown in Figs. l and 5.

I prefer to have the end portion 6 of said element merely cross theouter portion of the Hag, near the edge, without overlapping l saidedge, leaving it free and making it possible to have it fringed, ifdesired.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the portions 4 and 5 of theelement 3 may be left straight holding the body of the flag from thestaff and giving it the appearance, as if in a stiff breeze; or theportions 4 and 5 of said element 3 may be bent somewhat as shown in Fig.4 to show the flagin an attractive manner, unfurled, and with theappearance of being whipped by the breeze.

The use of flags for indoor decorations is universal, and the limpnature of flags made from cloth does not allow of the full beauty offlag decoration without much labor in draping, but with a supportingelement of the character described, the flags may be displayed in themost attractive. manner with very little trouble.

What I claim is l. A supporting element for a flag having portions tostilfen the upper and lower selvage edges thereof and secured thereto,and also having a connecting end portion crossing the flag adjacent it-sfree selvage.

2. A supporting element for a flag having portions to stiften the upperand lower selvage edges thereof, and also having a transverse connectedportion crossing the body of the flag, the upper and lower selvage edgesof said flag overlapping said element, a staff, the ends of said elementbeing connected to said staff.`

3. In combination, a flag staff, a flag attached thereto, a supportingelement for said flag comprising a piece of soft wire bent into form toprovide stilfening means for the upper and lower selvage edges of saidHag, and crossing the body thereof ad- 4. A supporting element for aHag, comjaoent the front selvage edge, the ends of prising a piece ofsoft Wire having spaced said Wire connected to said staff, and theparallel portions and an end piece, said upper and lovver selvage edgesof said flag spaced parallel portions bent to have a 10 5 overlappingthe sti'ening portions of said wavy appearance. A

Wire. JOSEPH G. BIXBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nve cents each, by addressing`the "Commissioner of Patents,

Wuhinatnn, D. 6."

